1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital data replaying apparatus and a digital data replaying method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital AV apparatuses such as a digital video recorder and a digital video player are known. In the digital AV apparatus, video data is recorded and replayed on and from a DVD (digital Versatile Disc) and a HDD (Hard Disc Drive). The digital AV apparatus handles the video data as digital data by using a technique like MPEG. Thus, specification of a replay position such as a head search of the video data and scene jump is made possible with the high number of degrees of freedom. For control of the digital AV apparatus by a user, an infrared remote control unit is generally used. Thus, while viewing data displayed on a TV to which the digital AV equipment is connected, the user can control the digital AV apparatus.
In a typical method of specifying a replay position, an image like a time bar is displayed on the screen, and a cross button or stick of the remote control unit is operated to move a pointer icon showing a replay staring position. The pointer icon can be moved into left and right directions on a time bar smoothly through the operation of the cross button or the stick. Also, the pointer icon is moved in a comparatively low constant speed to make it possible to carry out a fine specification of a replay position.
However, the following problems exist in the above conventional method. First, in case a scene jump and a head search, it is requested to continue to push the cross button or stick needs until the pointer icon reaches a desired replay position. That is, the operability of the digital AV apparatus is remarkably lost. If the movement speed of the pointer icon is accelerated in accordance with a time period for which the cross button or stick is pushed, the required time could be reduced. However, it becomes difficult to stop the pointer icon on the replay position desired by the user. That is, the operability is rather compromised more. A method could be also considered in which a pointing device like a mouse or a trackball is used, as in a personal computer and a user instructs an optional position of the time bar. However, it is difficult to adopt the method in the digital AV apparatus instead of the remote control unit with respect to a limitation of the installation area of the pointing device and an installation environment, and the operability.
In conjunction with the above description, a digital video replaying method is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-P2001-292402A). In this conventional example, a video image is replayed based on video contents and meta data. The video contents contain an event scene characterizing a scene of the video data, and the meta data contains an event data of the event scene itself and a start position of the event scene. By using the event data, the video data is replayed from an optional event scene desired by a user. Also, the meta data may contain a replay time data of the whole video data. In this case, a time bar corresponding to the replay time of the video data is displayed on a screen based on the replay time data through an operation by the user at the start of the replay of the video data or during the replay of the video data. Also, an icon for each of event scenes is displayed on the time bar. In this way, a replay start position desired by a user can be set simply and accurately through selection of one of the icons in this conventional example.
Also, a video data delivery system is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application (JP-P2000-514264A, i.e., PCT/US97/11453). In this conventional example, a user can set an index on a picture from the start position of an event scene corresponding to a pointer icon selected by a user through the selection of the icon by the user. In this conventional example, the video data delivery system contains a media server and a subscriber device connected with the media server. A video stream is received from the media server and displayed on a display screen of the subscriber device. A graphical icon is displayed on the display screen of the subscriber device to point one of various positions on the video stream. The graphical icon can be used for the position adjustment of the video stream. When a change request of an output position of the video stream is instructed from the user, the subscriber device transmits the change request to the media server. The media server receives the change request from the subscriber device and determines a new output position of the video stream. The media server outputs the video stream from the newly determined position.